IMEX is the heartbeat of the global business events community. Welcome to our meetings and events industry content hub where we curate our favourite content. You can experience live education sessions at our exhibitions, IMEX (www.imex-frankfurt.com) and IMEX America (www.imexamerica.com).

The event industry is suffering from inaction and a lack of representation. We spoke to four black leaders and they gave us a plan to change that. At EventMB, diversity and inclusion in the event industry is a topic that we hold very dear to our hearts.

To hold the pandemic at bay, disposable items seem to be the easy solution to keep things clean and safe. But do not throw out the baby with the bath water! The MICE industry has come a long way in recent years to help slow man-made climate change—which, don’t forget, will hit us with its own health challenges down the road.

While the financial hit from massive layoffs and furloughs in the hospitality industry has been devastating, COVID-19 has also highlighted the creativity and strength of the meetings industry. Venues have donated unused food and supplies from cancelled events and hotels have been housing healthcare workers all over the country. Planners have made masks and raised funds for their communities. More recently, industry speaker and resiliency expert Deborah Gardner launched an initiative to help both front-line workers and furloughed or laid-off hospitality staff.

Even before we started taking the necessary steps of social distancing by fully telecommuting, work was trending virtual. Zoom meetings were commonplace and webinars occurred regularly, but the current state of things has resulted in an even fuller reliance on digital methods of communication.

As lockdown measures begin to loosen in Europe, life is slowly starting to resemble a more familiar past. However, there are notable differences, with the visitor economy and meetings industry, particularly hard hit. As we set out to recover from the impacts of covid-19, leaders are calling for a green and fair recovery to avoid a return to the ‘old normal’. It follows, that the meetings industry in particular will experience a tough rebound, unless both the economic importance of the industry, and a clear vision and plan for a more sustainable and regenerative way of organising events is defined.

The Platinum Events Facebook page has testimonials from people who were thrilled by the company’s production for weddings and fundraising events. Alongside those are more recent recommendations for Platinum’s work sanitizing restaurants and grocery stores—the company’s new line of work.

Meetings Mean Business has postponed in-person events during Global Meetings Industry Day, the April 14 day of advocacy for the meetings and events industry, due to social distancing and travel restrictions. MMB hopes to host a celebration at IMEX America in September. Next week, though, planners have three other options to recognize and advocate for an industry which supports 26 million jobs around the world and $621 million in direct gross domestic product.

Despite the terrible impacts of the coronavirus on the meeting industry, there’s a silver lining. Hear me out! There is no question times are hard. The coronavirus pandemic has already devastated lives and businesses globally, and we don’t know how much worse things will get. The meeting industry is reeling under a wave of cancellations, postponements and uncertainty. All my short-term facilitation and on-site training engagements have been cancelled—and I’m lucky in comparison with colleagues who are struggling with the significant financial impact of the loss of work, deposits and income that a few months ago looked secure. Consequently, in the short term, the situation looks bleak.

There’s no denying that the coronavirus outbreak has changed, and will continue to change, how we travel. But even in light of the bleakest news—like the potential loss of 4.6 million travel-related jobs, according to a recent estimate by the U.S. Travel Association—the industry has banded together to aid in the fight.

Remote work is the new normal for meeting professionals during quarantine life, which may be tricky if you rely on interaction at the office to keep you sane. On the flip side, remote work affords you the opportunity to integrate wellness into your day. You can play the music that helps you focus, or take movement breaks without looking strange for lunging down the office hallway.

I turned 50 years old last year. Leading up to the milestone birthday, I found myself getting angrier and angrier by the day. Just about everything made me mad. To rescue me from divorce, I agreed with my spouse to see a therapist. Turns out I was anxious. Very anxious.

The therapy proved helpful and I learned a great deal about anxiety. I’m reminded about what the therapist and I discussed as I hunker down and prepare to ride out the COVID-19 crisis, along with the rest of my friends, colleagues and co-workers, who make up the meeting industry—a vital aspect our work, our community and our economy.

In an appeal to industry professionals on March 24, EIC wrote, “Our ask today is [for you] to reach out to your elected officials and key decision makers, who are looking at ways to provide economic relief. We may not be able to control what’s happening in the world right now, but we absolutely control how and with whom we share our message."

Travel and daily life continue to be affected by COVID-19 as “shelter-in-place” orders are mandated across the United States, and the world. Even still, amid isolation and quarantine, technology and the internet are keeping people connected. From working remotely to socializing with friends and family, there is readily available tech that can assist in day-to-day tasks during these uncertain times.

Despite little good news to report about the coronavirus pandemic itself, there are positives to be found in the meetings and convention industry’s response to the global crisis. Here are six that caught our eye.

According to many economic assessments, including this one, the financial impact of COVID-19 is being felt in the travel and hospitality industries first. Unfortunately for meeting planners, this means that some are facing a period of intense scrambling to postpone an event or move it online; for others, it means a period of un- or underemployment.

Even in health emergencies and natural disasters, there can be silver linings. After the general public was barred from watching a major sporting event in Columbus, Ohio, because of fears of coronavirus (COVID-19), a satisfying meal appeared for more than 2,000 first responders in tornado-stricken Tennessee.

Closing big deals are usually a cause for celebration, but when John Ayo closed a deal while working for IBM, Ayo simply didn’t feel good enough to celebrate. He went to a doctor, and after spending thousands of dollars, he was simply told, “It’s all in your head.” This disappointment led to his journey into alternative medicines.

Valuing experiences over material items has been a growing trend and shows no signs of slowing down, according to a recent Airbnb travel trend survey, What’s Next in Travel: Nature Treks, Trips to the Past and Conscious Dining, in which 57 percent of Americans said they prefer to spend on travel rather than things.

Welcome to this week’s #EventIcons, where we’ll discuss the topic of diversity and inclusion in events. And if you’ve been following us for a while, you know this isn’t new. Because we find this to be such an important conversation, we’ve covered it a few times already. However, things like diversity and inclusion in events will always remain extremely important. Plus, we’re happy to have as many perspectives as we possibly can on the matter.

As we are entering further into the year, we must take a look around us to see if we have the boundaries that we need for our lives put in place. Boundaries are limits, simple limits put in place to prevent us for going overboard. Also boundaries can be limits that are in place so that others do not interfere with them. Here are 10 boundaries that you should put in place right now to help you lead a more healthy and productive life.

Human trafficking touches every corner of the travel industry — especially hotels. And while the accommodations sector didn’t create the problem, it does have an elevated responsibility to put an end to it. The question is: How effective have the industry’s efforts been so far?

Human trafficking is an activity that touches every travel industry putting many people at risk in different environments. When women are involved in human trafficking it is to sell their bodies for sex. In order for their pimps to sell the women they would rent out hotel rooms where women would meet the men. If hotels were more cautious and paid attention to the people coming and trash going out maybe they could eliminate a spot that human trafficking takes place in.

We talk a lot about how to organise and market a great event, but where you hold it also has a huge impact on its success. Our latest Event Trends Report revealed the UK and Ireland’s events industry is experiencing a period of stability. However, 58% of respondents plan to hold more events, 37% think their event budget will increase and 27% believe their events team will grow in 2020 – these indicators of growth push event creators to think about how they might evolve their approach going forward, particularly when finding a venue for an event.

Keeping on top of everything in the run-up to the big day is essential. But what is an event timeline? Put simply, it’s an overview of what needs to happen before, during and after your event. It’s something every coordinator should have in their back pocket – after all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

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